Display apparatus



May 12; 1953 J. TADDoNlo DISPLAY APPARATUS Filed Jan. 23, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l @Nw @w wh .QM

[zza/enh? fan/Jamin Jas hv U "H Muni dl May 12, 1953 J. TADDoNio 2,637,923

DISPLAY APPARATUS Patented May l2, 1953 UNITED STATES' `Qliiii CE alertar ArPAnATt-Is Joseph Taddonio, EastBostomMass. application January es, 1951, serieu No. .207,283

1 This invention relates to ,display apparatus such as may be used jfor advertising and/'erigir dissemination .of news, and more especially .0I La kin-cl to present a running. displaiY repeating the same subject matter or continually ,changing the subject matter.

The principal objects of .the .invention are to provide a compact, illuminated display .apparatus wherein there is a sight opening through which may be .seen the subject matter to be displayed,

but which is so constructed that the display mate ter is substantially `concealed from exposure to the elements, thereby to prolong its `natural life, si, ch is constructed. so .as .to provide Ior :a maxi- .rc of brillianczv in display, `and in which prov vi on is made for altering the subject matter without interfering with its continued operation. Further .objects are to provide an .apparatus which is of compara-tively simple construction, will not readily .be fouled in operation, and re,- ouires comparatively little power -for .its operation in addition to the power consumed Afor illuminav tion. Still other objects are to provide a device in which the power requirements for the illumiare materially reduced.

is herein illustrated, the apparatus, which is contained in a substantially closed housing., .hay-

in one wall a sight opening, has mounted with-in it an endless belt .se arranged that a portion thereof is moved continuously along one side of the Sieht opening but isnot exposed A:t-brmlgh it. The belt has a series of ytransparcrlt pockets in it in ivhieh are placed objects for display, sind display through the sight opening is effected by o source of light-placed behind the belt so as to f so that rthe rest of the belt hangs down at opposite ends. The belt is of considerable length; so that only a comparatively small length" thereof spans the spaced rolls and'thatportion which yrests near 'the bottoni of the housing is gathered folds. housing are power driven and draw the "belt from the supporting ro'llat one end downwardly S0 as :to deposit successive incifernents'of 'the belt at the A pair of feed rolls atene end of the "l v 7 Claims, l(CLAN-i285) 'bottom of the housing and simultaneously to draw success-ive increments ofthe belt fremd-.the

opposite end .oi the housing .upwardly over the .other supply roll. A't or near the bottom Athereis support in the ,form of a continuously moving vconveyor upon which the 'folds of the bel't are deposited, .and which moves in a direction .to transport the folds siowlyin the direction of their .delivery to the opposite supporting roll. A,Near the end of .the conveyor there .is a Xed support upon which a plurality of folds .is deposited rom the conveyor prior to elevation onto 4the .support roll that Aend, ,and which holds .the folds substantially rimmobile for .a Short vperiod .of time. .ilus suffices., however, .to permit removal and introduction of .different objects inthe belt with out discontinuing operation .of .thelbelt and hence .operation .of .the apparatus. The belt itself is comprised .of superposed .sheets of transparent material .such as plastic, joined together at longitudinally spaced intervals `to provide pockets., although any suitable analogous .arrangement .of .transparent material which will afford supporting means :for .obiects .to be .displayed may be used.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Eig. l is a ,longitudinal vertical `section through the apparatus;

Fig. 2 is :a horizontal section :of the apparatus `taken .on the line .2--2 of Fig. l;

3 is a vertical section transversely of the `iriach-i-ne taken .onzthe line 13-3 of Fig. 2;

. Fig. fi is a transverse vertical .section of an .alternative form '.of the apparatus;

Fig.. 5 is a vertical section through a portion 4of the belt;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a fragmentary portion .of the belt; .and

7 a plan view of a typical object which may be placed in the pocket of the belt.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus has a substantially rectangular housing consisting of top and bottom walls l0 and 12, end walls i4 and sidewalls L6, all of which are formed of sheet metal, and parts of which may be integral, such as the ,tcp and sido walls, and have joined thereto the ends and bottom. The 'housing has in one of its side Vwalls it a longitudinally extending, narrow; substantially rectangular sight opening IB.

Within 'the housing and on the inside of the `end walls M near the' top of the housing and above the upper edge of the sight opening, there aremoiinted brackets 20e- 23 which support a pair oigcylindrical rolls Z4 varranged to turn freely on horizontal axes extending transversely of the lhouoinez A continuous belt B is entrained over these cylindrical rolls 24 so as to have a substantially horizontal run 26 extending lengthwise of the housing above the sight opening, depending portions 28 and 30 at opposite ends of the housing extending downwardly from the horizontal run into the bottom of the housing, and a bottom run 32 in the form of a series of gathers or folds which take up the excess length of the belt.

The belt B, as shown in Figs. and 6, is com- Drised of superposed layers of transparent material 34 and 36, for example, any of the known transparent plastics having considerable strength integrally joined along one edge, as by folding of a single sheet, or consisting of two sheets stitched or otherwise fastened along one edge. The superposed sheets are also joined transversely at spaced intervals lengthwise of the belt by stitching 38, a suitable adhesive, or by fusing the material of the plies so as to provide spaced pockets 40 between the layers into which may be introduced through one edge objects 42 (Fig. 7) which are to be projected for display purposes. The objects 42 may be in the form of transparent sheet material 43 having marked or otherwise formed thereon a letter, figures, characters, pictures, etc. which are opaque so as to cut off light transmission therethrough, or are translucent and colored so as to modify light transmission therethrough. Due to the fact that the belt is supported through the greater part of its movement, it may be made of comparatively thin sheet plastic and still have sufficient strength to be serviceable indefinitely and, at the same time, because of its thinness and transparency, transmit a maximum of light, thereby requiring less expenditure of power for illumination.

The upper run 26 of this transparent belt is supported in a substantially horizontal plane between the cylindrical rollers 22 and 24 by a horizontally arranged transparent plate such as a sheet of glass 44, the opposite edgesof which are engaged Within spaced, facing, channel-like grooves 46, formed along the lower edges of spaced depending sheet metal walls 48 formed integral with a horizontal web 50 which is welded to the under side of the top wall I0 as illustrated in Fig. 3. Spacer strips 52 fast to the inside of the walls 48 engage the opposite edges of the belt and serve to guide it uniformly as it is drawn along the upper surafce of the supporting glass plate 44. Above the belt and within the spaced walls 44, there is mounted a pair of spaced illuminating elements, for example a pair of incandescent or fluorescent light tubes, and in order to project a maximum of the light emanating therefrom through the belt, a concave reflector R is Y fastened to the walls 48 behind the tubes.

The horizontal run 26 of the belt B is continuously drawn along below the lamp tubes and reflector by a pair of cooperating feed rolls 54 and 58 (Fig. 1) located at one end of the housing below the supporting roll 22. The feed roll 54 is journaled for rotation between spaced bracket members 58 fast to the end wall |4 and the feed roll 56 is mounted for free rotation about a horizontal axis paralleling theY axis of the roll 54 on spaced bracket members 51, which in turn are pivotally supported on the brackets 581for movement to and from the roll 54, and is yieldably urged toward the roll 54 by springs 60 so as to pinch the belt between the rolls 54 and 55. The roll 54 has a laterally extending shaft 59 on which there is fast a pulley 60 and over this pulley there is entrained one end of a belt 62, the opposite end of which is entrained over a pulley64 fast to the shaft of a motor M which rests on the 'bottoni of the housing'and is secured thereto. When the motor is in ,operation, the feed roll 54 is positively driven and effects a continuous movement of the belt, drawing the vertical portion 28 of the belt downwardly so as to deposit successive increments of belt in the lower part of the housing. and raising-successive increments of the vertical portion 30l from the lower part of the housing over the support roll 24 for movement in a horizontal position below the light tubes and reflector. In the lower part of the housing below the sight opening 8 there is a. support 65 for receiving the belt as it is delivered by the feed rolls 54 and 56 in folds or gathers, and for transporting the folds slowly from the feed roll end of the housing to the opposite end thereof for redelivery to the support roll 24. The supporting means 66 is in the form of a substantially continuous conveyor, and as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, is made up of three horizontally disposed, spaced cylindrical rolls 6810 and 12, over which are entrained endless cords 12 and 14. Three of the cords f|2 are placed about the cylindrical rolls 68 and l0 and are aboutjequally spaced lengthwise thereof while two pair/slof cords 14 are placed about the cylindrical rolls 10 and 1|. While these cords are shown-as of round cross section and as being seated in grooves formed in the rolls, they may be fiat, or of other suitable configuration, and may or may not be seated in grooves in the rolls. Thesegcylindrical rolls are supported above the bottom of the housing and journaled for rotation about horizontal longitudinal axes in spaced, parallel, horizontally arranged, 'C-shaped channels 88 which rest on and are fast to spaced, horizontally arranged angle brackets 86, welded to the oppositev walls I6 of the housing. 'Ihe conveyor is driven by positive rotation of the roll 1| in the following manner. At the bottom of the chamber there is fastened a pair of spaced journal posts 16, between which is journaled a horizontal shaft 16 having fast thereto a pulley 80. A belt 82 is entrained over the pulley and a pulley 85 fast to the shaft of the driven roll 58. Also fast to the shaft 'I8 is a sprocket 84. A shaft 90 is journaled between the channel members 88 between the rolls 68 and 10 and this shaft, as shown in Fig. 2, has at one end a sprocket 82 and at its opposite end a bevel gear 96. A chain 94 is entrained over the sprocket 84 and the sprocket 92 so as to impart rotation to the shaft 90. A shaft |00 is mounted in journal brackets |02 fast to one of the channels 88 so as to extend forwardly from the shaft 90 to the roll 1|, and has at one end a bevel gear 88 for engagement with the bevel gear 86,"an'd at its opposite end a disc |04 for engagement with the end face of a disc |06 fast to the ed'of the roll 1|. The shaft |00 is 'divided interm'ediate its ends and joined by a sleeve |08 so tlcatit'sl length may be varied by rotation of the sleeve, which is threaded internally for engagement with right and left-hand threads on the adjacent shaft ends. By varying the length of the shaft |00 the position of the disc 04 radially of the disc |06 may be changed so as to vary the speed of rotation of the roll 1|, this arrangement being a common form of variable drive.

- The conveyor 56 terminates short of the righthand end of the housing as shown in Fig. 1, and situated below it and between it and the end wall there is a. flat. fixed platform or support I0 supported at its rear end from the bottom bya pair of spaced legs ||2 and at its forward end by welding to the end wall. The platform ||0 is of -sufiicient size to receive a substantial number of folds of the belt as it is pushed toward this end acentos.

by the conveyor, and will hold. them .at lnest for a short interval `of time, that is, the folds are des` livered to the platform lill faster than the .folds of the belt already resting thereon are drawn upwardly therefrom over the roll 24 so that there are always some of the folds at rest.. .rhis enables one servicing the machine to withdraw objects, indicia or other display matter from the pockets t0 of the folds at rest and to replace these with other matter. For this purpose a door or removable panel may b e provided in the wall which may 'be opened or slid back so that the service man has access to the platform |10.

In order to guide the belt in its movement upwardly from the platform H0, there is l:fastened to the end wall 4 a bracket |14 on whlchis journaled a pair of spaced guide rolls IIS between which the belt passes during elevation to the roll 2l. Guides H5 (Fis. 3) are also fastened to the inside of the side walls It in positions Just above the plane of the conveyor 66, so as tolabut the lateral edges of the folds of the belt during its movement from one end to the other ofthe storase chamber. i

Since the moving belt is bound to pickl up lint and dust, brushes H8 are fastened to the brackets 20 at opposite ends of the horizontal run thereof, to remove any dust whichmight cling to its surface and hence destroy the brilliancy of the display. Thus, the brilliancy is maintained substantially undiminished throughout the use of the apparatus.

Images of the objects'carried by thelbelt and illuminated by the light tubes I are carried by the light beam emanating from the tubes to a reflector means |20 which redirects the beam through thesight opening. ,The reliector means consists of a rigid backing member |22 which is of substantially rectangular shape. hinged at V|24 to the wall IIB opposite the sight opening, so as to extend from end to end of the sight opening. The forward face of the hacking |22 has'attached thereto a mirror, for example, a conventional plate glass mirror or some other highly reflective surface, on which the images of the objects carried by the belt are picked up by the light beam and are then redirected through the sight opening. The surface of the mirror is cylindrically concave along an axis parallel to its length and to the upper run of the belt as illustrated in Fig. 3. A pair of spaced adjusting bars |28 are pivotally hinged at |30 near the lower edge of the backing member |22 and extend rearwardly therefrom through holes |32 formed in the rear wall I6. Each bar |28 has on it a series of spaced teeth |34 for engagement with the wall marginally of the hole |32 and these may be held in en- In this case. the horizontal, run 2l is situated belowthe lower horizontal edge ot' the sight .opening |112 and is contained and travels between a pair of horizontally arranged, spaced' glass plates ory other transparent members' |44|44` held in spacedv relation by spacer strips |43- and mounted in oppositely disposed channels |45 formedv at the upper ends of spaced walls |46 joined by a web |481, which is welded to a horizontal partition |50, the edges of which are in turn welded to the walls le ofv the housing` The light tubesI and the reflector R. are in this case mounted below the horizontal run of the belt between the walls |46, and the light beam is projected upwardly therefrom through the transparent plates |44-|44 and the horizontal run 26 of the belt B situated therebelow.

The sight rehectorl for redirecting the light beam carrying the objects carried by the belt mirror |26 is cylindrically concave lengthwise thereof along an axis parallel to the upper run of the belt as illustrated in Fig. 4. spaced anchor tabs |66 are fastened to the upper edge o! the sight redactor at opposite ends and have con nected thereto, flexible cords U64 which extend rearwardly through a series of spaced eyes' |65 fast lto the inclined and vertical portion of the wall l5. The cords extend downwardly toward the base of the apparatus and are then brought forwardly and fastened to a channel member |68 which rests on the horizontal :lange of a bracket |69 welded to the inside of the forward wall. The channel v| G8 is secured to the bracket |69 so as to be slidably movable forwardly and rearwardly thereon, and such movement is effected by one or more screws |10 threaded into one Wall o! the channel, which have knobs |12 at their ends outside of the housing, ABy rotating the knobs |12 the ends |64 may be shortened or lengthened to change the angular position of the sight reflector.

In either of its forms the apparatus is operated simply by starting the motor M and lallowing the feed rolls 54--56 constantly to draw the belt B across the pulleys 22 and 24 with suitable objects or indicia inserted in the pockets of the gagement with the wall so as to adjust the angular position of the reflector by pivoted latches |36 which may be swung into engagement with the upper edges of the bars |28 tofhold them down.

An alternative iorm of the apparatus is illustrated in Fig. 4 in which the essential features of the preferred apparatus are modiedchiefly in their position, but not in the mode of operation. In this latter form of the apparatus, the housing has at the upper part of its wall l5. a sloping portion |40 opposite the sight opening |42 in the opposite wall I8. Below the sight opening and the sloping portion |40, the endlessgbelt B is mounted for continuous movement in the same manner described with reference to therforegoing figures, that is, on spaced, parallel, r'supporting rolls 22 and 24 so as to have a horizontal run 26.

belt. The display of the objects carried by the belt'will be effected bythe light beam emanating from the light tubes, which carry images of the objects carried by the transparent belt, onto the reflector and hence through the sight opening. Whenever it is desirable to change the subject matter of display, the belt may be serviced at the platform l I0, where some of the folds are always temporarily at rest, by withdrawing objects pocketed in the belt and replacing them with other objects. Substantially the only upkeep in the apparatus `is the supplying of new or different objects for display, and it is here pointed out that because the belt carrying the objects for display is housed out of registry with the sight opening, its life is prolonged materially, since the destructivefeffects ofv sunlight, moisture, etc., do not have direct access thereto and power requirements are maintained at a minimum because the parts through which the image carrying beam passes are not exposed to the elements and hence remain unclouded and clear.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A display apparatus comprising a housing having a sight opening therein, a sight reflector in the housing inclined to and facing said sight opening, spaced supporting rolls within the housing, a continuous endless belt arranged on said supporting rolls with one run in a substantially horizontal position above the sight opening, ,and with the remainder of the belt suspended therefrom out of registry with the sight opening, said belt having transparent pockets therein in which are placed objects for display, means in the housing for projecting a light beam through theVv belt onto :said sight reflector, said sight reflector bef' ing adapted to receive images carried by the light beam, and to redirect the beam through thesight opening, a storage space below the sight opening in which the suspended portion of the belt is-stored, apair -ofwfeed rolls close to one of .the supporting rolls between which the belt passes from its horizontal run to the storage space, means for effecting rotation of the feed rolls continuously to draw successive portions of the `belt y across said supporting rolls and deliver them to the storage space, said belt being of such fullness that at any given time only a small portion thereof spans said rolls and the remainder falls in folds in the storage space, and a slowly traveling conveyor in the storage space on which the folded portions of the belt fall for conveying the folds slowly toward the opposite end of the housing for redelivery to the support rolls. y

2. A display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein there is means for effecting movement of the conveyor at a lower rate of linear speed than the linear speed of the horizontal portion of the belt and there is means for varying the speed of the conveyor.

3. A display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor includes a plurality of conveyor below the supporting rolls at that end for temporarily receiving a plurality of folds of the belt .in a substantially immobile state prior to elevation of the belt therefrom to the supporting roll at that end.

5. In a display apparatus according to claim l, a stationary charging platform at the discharge end of the Aconveyor for receiving and supporting a plurality of folds of the belt in a state of temporary immobility prior to the elevation of the belt to the supporting rolls, said charging platform having a horizontal surface parallel and subjacent to the plane of the conveyor.

6. A display apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the reflector is characterized in that its reflecting surface is concave.

7. A display apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the reflector is characterized in that its reflecting surface is cylindrically concave lengthwise, the longitudinal axis of the reflector being parallel to the belt.

' JOSEPH TADDONIO.

vReferences Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 375,348 Fyfe Dec. 27, 1887 945,652 Weniger Jan. 4, 1910 1,681,349 Krause Aug. 21, 1928 1,805,209 Ellern May 12, 1931 1,807,649 Brown June 2, 1931 1,869,465 Cohan Aug. 2, 1932 2,132,649 Sacksteder Oct. 11, 1938 2,206,806 Chernow July 2, 1940 2,296,272 Sherbinin Sept. 22, 1942 2,539,286 Thompson Jan. 23, 1951 

